A Head Like Carmel - Song of Songs 7:5

In the book of Song of Songs, Solomon shared how the groom said to the bride, “Your neck is as a tower of ivory; your eyes like the fishpools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bathrabbim: Your nose is as the tower of Lebanon which looks toward Damascus”, and in chapter seven and verse five of Song of Songs, Solomon shared how the groom said, “your head upon you is like Carmel” where we read,

Your head upon you is like Carmel, and the hair of your head like purple; 

the king is held in the galleries.

The verse reads, “Your head upon you is like Carmel, and the hair of your head like purple;” Solomon began with the words, “your head upon you” or “your, the bride's, physical head” “is like Carmel” which means exists similar and in likeness to Carmel whose name means garden-land and is a mountain on the Mediterranean coast of northern Israel which is just below Haifa”, “and the hair of your head” or “and the loosely threaded, indigent and threads belonging to your, the bride's, physical head” “like purple” which means “exists similar and in likeness to red-purple dye”. Solomon shared how the groom said the bride's physical “head” was similar to “Mount Carmel” whose height was above all the others in the area, and her physical “hair” was as luxurious as expensive “red-purple” dye. 

The verse goes on to say, “the king is held in the galleries.” Solomon continued with the words, “the king is held” which means “the royal ruler and leader exists as tied, bound, imprisoned and harnessed” “in the galleries” or “within the channels, ringlets, trough or tresses of her hair”. Solomon shared how the groom said the royal ruler was held captive by the tresses of the bride's hair. 

When we consider Solomon's words in this verse, we learn how the groom continued to speak favorably toward the bride's physical features. Her “head” spoke of her being exalted above all others, and her “hair” was as radiant and luxurious looking as expensive red-purple dye which caused even the royal ruler to be captured by the curls within it. The admiration expressed by the groom is similar to the way God feels about us. He created us, gave us breath and life and sustains us so we may know His Son Jesus who died on the cross for our sins. Sin separated us from a personal relationship with God, and when we surrender to Him, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put within us a beauty that not only He recognizes, but others are held captive by as well. 

Next time Solomon shares how the groom says, “how fair and how pleasant are you, O love” so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".